Kelsey Napolitano

How has your first week been?

Good, it was fun.

What class do you teach?

American Sign Language. This semester [I teach] level one, [and] next semester [I’ll teach] level two and three.

Did you teach anywhere before coming to HHS?

Yes, I taught at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind [for three years]. 

Do you find the environment from here and their different? 

Yeah, big time. Here, I need an interpreter [and] I need more access here, but at VSDB, [everybody is on the same level as me].

What are some of your strengths as a teacher?

Organizing, [being] type A.

Have you always wanted to be a teacher?

Yes

What do you do when a lesson doesn’t go very well?

[I] come up with something really fast, [sometimes I will] make small groups to review what we just learned or I have students that I give [a] green card [to] so they know if it’s good or not. If they have a yellow or red cards so I can understand what they need so there is more support for each other and students can work together.

Where did you go to college?

Rochester Institute for Technology.

Did you find New York to be very different than Harrisonburg?

I lived there for 25 years before I moved to Virginia. There are some things in common, but it’s a little bit different.

How long have you been living in Harrisonburg?

This will be my fourth year.

What things do you like to do in your free time here?

Play with my dogs, read books, clean the house, [and] mow the lawn

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How many dogs do you have?

[I have] two [dogs].

How did you get the dogs?

[I] adopted them.

How would you describe your dogs personalities?

One is very over friendly and licks people’s faces, and the other one is very protective.  He’s very protective of the family.

Do they get along well?

Oh yeah, they are like brother and sister.

How long have you had each [of them]?

Five years.

Did you like New York or Virginia better?

The food in New York I prefer. [But] here, it’s more calm.

Where in New York did you live?

I grew up in Long Island, New York […] and I went to college in upstate New York.  […] I got a job at VSBD so I moved here.